A River Falls man was arrested after sending multiple text messages to two people threatening to kill them after seeing them in a Facebook post attending a wedding. He is also facing additional charges after contacting them again despite a temporary restraining order.

Bernard Joseph McClellan, 60, was ordered to pay $2,500 cash bond Aug. 7 in Pierce County Circuit Court on felony stalking, computer message/threaten harm or injury and disorderly conduct charges. If convicted, the maximum penalty is 3.5 years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000.

After getting out on bail, McClellan was arrested again and ordered to pay $2,500 cash bail Aug. 11 on felony bail jumping and two violate/harassment restraining order charges. If convicted, the maximum penalty is six years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000.

According to the complaints:

At 8:40 p.m. Aug. 5, police were dispatched to the former police station at 125 N. Elm St. to speak with a complainant who said her ex-husband was texting threats to kill her. She said she and her boyfriend were in town for a wedding when they started receiving texts from McClellan around 6 p.m.

McClellan sent 40 text messages to Victim 1 between 6:44 p.m. and 8:33 p.m. threatening to kill her, hunt her down, etc. He also said a protective order wouldn’t stop him. Victim 2 received about 44 messages from McClellan between 6:59 p.m. and 8:54 p.m. filled with the same type of threats. He also tried to get Victim 2 to come to his house, where he said he’d shoot him in the head.

When officers went to McClellan’s house, he answered the door with a knife in his hand. He gave it to his son, who was standing next to him. At first, he denied texting anyone, but then admitted to texting Victim 1 after seeing her on Facebook. He also admitted to threatening both and wanting to beat up the man and shoot him.

McClellan also told police that once he got out of jail, no one could stop him from threatening or harming them.

“Restraining orders don’t work,” he said, according to the complaint. “If I am a committed man set on a mission you can’t stop me brother.”

While officers were collecting his belonging to transport him to jail, he became disorderly and belligerent. He threw himself on the ground and claimed officers did it. He resisted getting into the police squad and taunted officers to bang his head. During the ride to the jail, he called the officer the “N” word and “monkey” and threatened to chew his ear off.

He was released from jail Aug. 7 on a $2,500 cash bond. On Aug. 9, Victim 2 flagged down an officer in River Falls and reported that McClellan had contacted them through his son, which was a violation of a temporary restraining order and bond conditions. He was arrested again Aug. 10 and transported to Pierce County Jail.

He is scheduled to appear at a status conference at 2 p.m. Aug. 22.